Matildas rally amid uncertainty over Kerr's World Cup
Story by Anna Harrington • 25m ago
It is unclear just how long Sam Kerr (blue jacket) will be sidelined with injury.© Mark Evans/AAP PHOTOS
Matildas dasher Ellie Carpenter is adamant Sam Kerr will overcome her injury in time to make an impact in the later stages of the Women's World Cup amid fears her entire campaign could be in peril.
Kerr was a shock scratching from Australia's opening 1-0 win over Ireland with a calf injury - suffered at training on match eve of Wednesday - that will also at least rule her out of next Thursday's clash with Nigeria in Brisbane.
But Australia's final and biggest Group B game against Canada at Melbourne's AAMI Park on July 31 is just four days later.
The tight turnaround and the notoriously unpredictable and slow-healing nature of calf injuries has the entire nation holding its collective breath.
"She's going to be out for two games, and then we'll reassess afterwards," coach Tony Gustavsson said after Thursday night's escape act.
"That tells you a little bit about what grade it is, but we don't want to go into more details on that at this point."
If Australia make the round of 16, they would have a break until August 7, which is a far more favourable timeline - giving Kerr more than two-and-a-half weeks' recovery time.
Carpenter's comments on Friday indicated that timeline, or perhaps an even later return, would be more likely.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/video/spo...d-out-for-two-games/vi-AA1e7ltT?ocid=msedgntp
"It was obviously heartbreaking for Sam personally and I guess for us also obviously heartbroken," Carpenter said in a Football Australia video interview.
"But we know that she was with us throughout the whole 90 minutes and we played for her, won for her and we know that she'll be back with us soon.
"We're all there for her like she's always there for us during (tough) times.
"This is the most important time. We'll all rally around her and we know that she'll get herself right to come help us in the later stages."
The prospect of the Matildas being without Kerr all tournament, which would place a hefty burden on Caitlin Foord and Mary Fowler in attack, is not only Gustavsson's worst nightmare.
It would also be a marketing disaster for FIFA, with the 29-year-old superstar the face of the World Cup.
Vice-captain Steph Catley stepped up on Thursday to take the armband and fill the leadership void, including scoring the decisive penalty – normally Kerr's role.
"Sam's still around - she's still got her effect on the team," Catley said.
"She's in every meeting. She's in there at halftime talking to everyone, she's doing the pre-game talk and she's still with us.
"So we'll do everything we can to get as far as we can and then hopefully we see Sam Kerr later on."
Gustavsson hailed how Kerr handled herself amid personal disappointment.
"Sam was very clear when she brought the team together and said, 'this is not about me, this is about you'," he said.
"She wanted to be focused on the team and for the players to be able to do that in that devastating moment for her personally says a lot about her as a captain for this team."